Today I am showing a really marvelous, country textile—a six-panel, cotton mosquito netting, or kaya—that is intensely patched and mended.

The color of the kaya, or mosquito netting, is dark green, however it’s interesting to note that the green color is the result of age, oxidation and years of exposure to smoke and dirt: the actual color of the kaya, as can be seen by the unfaded, bottom edge, is a deep, indigo blue.

The array of patches is dense and they are made of various materials: the largest patches are hemp, the smaller patches are of stencils resist cotton.

This kaya, as the name suggests, was used in summer as mosquito netting. However, the kaya was also used year-round within the house as it also served as kind of insulation in the winter months. This is one of the most fabulous kayas I have seen, and its large size, 67″ x 80″, 1.7 m x 2 m, is something rare to see.

I am lucky to have this piece and other fragments of one and two panels from the same kaya, which I will offer on my website at some point soon.